Good Friday Agreement

The 1998 agreement established a power-sharing government in Northern Ireland and set out principles for peace and political cooperation.

Northern Ireland Assembly: The elected legislature established under the Good Friday Agreement to govern Northern Ireland through power sharing. It is the agreement’s central devolved institution, with executive authority shared across political communities.
The Troubles: A period of political violence in and around Northern Ireland, generally dated from the late 1960s to 1998. The agreement was negotiated to end the conflict and establish a peaceful political framework.
Tony Blair: A British politician who served as prime minister from 1997 to 2007 and participated in the Good Friday Agreement negotiations. His government joined the negotiations and endorsed the resulting settlement.
Paramilitary decommissioning in Northern Ireland: The process of putting weapons held by Northern Irish paramilitary organizations beyond use. The agreement tied progress toward decommissioning to the transition from armed conflict to democratic politics.
Northern Ireland Executive: The devolved government of Northern Ireland, formed by ministers nominated through the Assembly’s power-sharing arrangements. The agreement designed its cross-community executive to govern alongside the Assembly.
Sunningdale Agreement: A 1973 agreement that created a short-lived power-sharing government and proposed cross-border cooperation in Northern Ireland. It anticipated institutional elements later revived in the 1998 agreement, but collapsed amid opposition.
David Trimble: A Northern Irish unionist politician who led the Ulster Unionist Party and shared the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize. He led the largest unionist party into the agreement and defended its acceptance within unionism.
Northern Ireland peace process: The political efforts to end conflict and build stable institutions in Northern Ireland. The agreement became the central framework for this continuing process.
Cross-community voting: A voting procedure that requires support across designated political communities for specified decisions. The agreement uses this safeguard for key Assembly decisions, including certain elections and legislative measures.
Downing Street Declaration: A 1993 joint statement by the British and Irish governments affirming self-determination and setting principles for peace negotiations. It helped establish the political conditions for the negotiations that produced the agreement.

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